


Better with you

by StrawberryLane



Series: Seven minutes in heaven [14]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Breaking Up & Making Up, Declarations Of Love, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Making Up, POV Outsider, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Gestures, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, being in a relationship takes work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-01 22:57:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16293449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrawberryLane/pseuds/StrawberryLane
Summary: Bucky and Peter rebuild their relationship.Or, Bucky Barnes pulls out all the stops he can find.





	Better with you

Flash sure is happy he’s not Phoenix Larson. He’s also thanking his lucky stars he’s not among the unfortunate souls who finds James Buchanan Barnes attractive enough to hit on, despite knowing the guy is in a relationship. Or was. It seems like it’s officially complicated.

 

Three days after the whole Halloween party fiasco, Peter unfollows his boo on instagram and the groveling begins. Tony goddamn Stark shows up at Midtown High – in the middle of class, because the man is nothing if not extra – to ask Peter if someone needs to kick the Winter Soldier’s ass. He volunteers the Hulk and Black Widow.

 

Peter, blushing like nothing else, stutters that he’s got it all under control and if someone should kick Barnes’ ass it ought to be him, shouldn’t it?

 

Phoenix Larson snickers when told this later in the halls, like the idea of Peter Parker going up against the former Hydra assassin is something to laugh at. If only she knew, Flash thinks. He’s read up on the few statistics that exist about Spider Man and boy is Peter Parker strong. He can bench press Captain America, easy. The Winter Soldier wouldn’t stand a chance, despite all his training.

 

What Flash wouldn’t do to witness that fight.

 

Barnes himself doesn’t show up to kiss Peter’s feet in apology, but Captain America is waiting for Peter when they exit the school one gray afternoon.

 

There’s phones sneakily filming everywhere. The whole school is outside, watching as Peter Parker settles behind Captain America on his motorcycle and they speed away. Because of course the whole school knows what happened at Phoenix Larson’s party.

 

After that, Peter doesn’t show up to school for several days and when he finally does, he’s wearing a too large leather jacket falling apart at the seams and a hickey the size of Texas on his neck.

 

And also a giant diamond ring in a chain around his neck.

 

*

 

Bucky is a mess. He hasn’t showered in several days, his hair is basically one big clump of, well, hair, because he hasn’t bothered to brush it either. He lives on ramen noodles and chips.

 

“You smell really bad,” Steve informs him from the other side of the couch. “Seriously, what’s going on?”

 

Bucky mutters something from where he’s wrapped in all the blankets they own, staring unseeingly at the TV in front of them. The TV that’s been playing nothing but sad breakup movies for a week straight. Steve is so over Jennifer Aniston at this point.

 

“What was that?” Steve asks, reaching out to poke at the other man with his foot. No way he’s getting any closer.

 

Bucky clears his throat. “I said, Peter’s unfollowed me on instagram. And that’s practically his generation’s language for fuck you, we’re over.”

 

Steve falters for a moment. “Oh. Have you, ah, actually talked to him about it?”

 

“No? Because he ignores all my calls and all my texts and snapchats. I even tried a letter, but I don’t know if he got it.”

 

“What happened? What’s going on?”

 

“Well...” Bucky gives a wry laugh that sounds so fake it makes Steve’s ears hurt. “We went to that chick’s Halloween party. That one I told you about?”

 

“The Phoenix one?”

 

“Right. And while we were there, this bitch-”

 

“Buck.”

 

“Sorry. This little homewrecker of a lady, tells me she’s got something to show me. So I thought I’d humor her, right. She brings me to her bedroom and proceeds to hit on me. Tells me that since I had no problem cheating on Pete with Spider Man I should have no problem sleeping with her.”

 

“And?”

 

“And she tries to kiss me, won’t take no for a goddamn answer, and then Peter shows up and, of course, reads the entire situation differently.”

 

“And what happened then?”

 

“Well, he runs away and I run after, looking like a total idiot in my batman dress and then I find him, after Ned helped me out, in this playground near his place. He’d been crying, Steve. And I felt so shitty. We talk, I tell him nothing happened, he tells me he’s still processing what he saw and now we’re here. He unfollowed me on instagram and it hurts like a bitch.”

 

“I can try talking to him if you want?”

 

Bucky’s eyes widen. “I’d love you forever if you do.”

 

Steve chuckles. “You already do. I’ll talk to him if you start showering regularly again, deal?”

 

Bucky’s already halfway to the bathroom. “Deal!”

 

*

 

Peter’s not sure how he feels about Steve Rogers showing up at his school to persuade him to at least answer one of Bucky’s million texts.

 

He just needs some time, okay?

 

But he climbs onto the back of Steve’s motorcycle all the same, letting the older man take him wherever it is they’re going.

 

As it turns out, they’re going to upstate New York. Or, more specifically, to one of Tony Stark’s many houses.

 

“I need to call May,” Peter tells Steve as he climbs off the motorcycle.

 

Steve smiles. “Already taken care of,” he promises, starting his bike again. “Go on,” he nudges Peter gently, towards the – well, it’s more of a cozy hunting lodge than a house – building. “He’s desperate to talk to you.”

 

*

Peter watches as Steve speeds away, leaving him alone. Dread pools in his stomach, though he’s not entirely sure why. It’s just Bucky. Bucky, his boyfriend. Bucky, one of his best friends. Bucky, who, if he’s really honest with himself, he’s not really keen to lose.

 

Pulling his backpack higher up on his shoulders, he takes a deep breath and pulls the front door open, peering inside.

It takes his eyes a moment to adjust from the bright, cold sunshine outside to the dim light inside of the – probably largely unused – cottage. There’s rose petals on the ground. A trail of them, in fact. Peter swallows hard, dumping his backpack by the door.

 

The rose petal leads him through the cottage and to the kitchen area. The kitchen area which is dimly lit by candles and there’s rose petals everywhere and there, by the table, is Bucky.

 

He looks like he’s about to faint from nervousness, which is much like what Peter feels like.

 

They both stand still for a moment, drinking in each others presence. It feels like they haven’t seen each other in years, though it’s been more like a week, tops. Taking in Bucky’s appearance, Peter suddenly feels self-conscious. Bucky’s pulled out all the stops, dressed in a suit, with a black shirt to match. He’s even put on eyeliner and done his hair.

 

Goddamn him, he knows exactly how attractive Peter finds him when he braids his hair.

 

And sure, Peter makes sure not to look like a slob, but next to Bucky, he feels underdressed. But, he reasons, he didn’t know this was coming. So fuck it, Bucky will just have to make do with Peter dressed in jeans, a geeky t-shirt and a plaid shirt. He can probably handle it.

 

“Hi,” says Bucky quietly. “Thank your for showing up.”

 

“Hello,” Peter replies. “What’s for dinner?”

 

“Pizza,” Bucky tells him, gesturing towards the oven. “Stark told me I should go with filet mignon, but you like pizza and I-”

 

“Pizza’s perfect,” Peter interrupts him. “And did you tell Mr Stark about this? And Steve?”

 

“Steve would’ve found out anyway and Stark is a nosy son of a-”

 

“He showed up at my school. Asked if I needed someone to kick your ass for me.”

 

Bucky raises his eyebrows at that. “Stark? Jesus. I assume you told him you’re perfectly capable of doing that yourself?”

 

Peter laughs. “Of course I did.”

 

They’re interrupted by the timer announcing that the pizza is done and Peter’s stomach audibly growls at the sight of it. It looks so good, dripping with cheese and marinara sauce. It also looks quite rustic. Homemade, even.

 

“Did you make this?” Peter asks after they’ve seated themselves at the table and he bites into the pizza. God he’s hungry.

 

Stuffing his face, Bucky nods. “-ad to try three times, the dough kept sticking to my hand.”

 

He says it like it’s nothing, but Peter hears the underlying words anyway. _“I want to make this right.”_

 

There’s a lump in Peter’s throat. “It’s awesome,” he says, trying to convey what he can’t actually make himself say out loud. _“And I’m going to let you.”_

 

*

 

Bucky’s so nervous he feels like he’s vibrating out of his skin. The dinner was mostly successful, in that Peter didn’t leave immediately. And actually listened to Bucky rambling his head of, trying to explain his version of the story. He’s not sure if he made any sense at all, but he thinks he got the point across. He’s never once been attracted to Phoenix Larson and won’t ever be. It was a stupid, stupid mistake, trying to nice and polite. He’s never trying that again.

 

And now they’re laying in the super king size bed – seriously, Tony – Peter’s head on Bucky’s chest. They’re both sticky with sweat and sleepy and Bucky thinks that it’s now or never.

  
“Take me back?” he asks, mumbling into peter’s hair.

 

“I never broke up with you in the first place, you doofus,” Peter replies with a soft laugh.

 

“You unfollowed me on instagram, that’s basically the same thing.”

 

“It’s totally not.”

 

“Sure is.”

 

Carefully, Bucky pulls away from Peter, fishing up his trousers from where they’ve been left in a heap on the floor. “I have something for you,” he says, rummaging through the pockets until he finds a small, light blue box.

 

Peter may not be all that up to date with fashion and jewelery, but he recognizes a Tiffany & Co box when he sees one. He gasps, settling back against the headboard as Bucky kneels on the bed in front of him, holding out the box.

 

Peter takes it, opening it slowly. There, nestled in the box, is a huge diamond ring, glinting up at him.

 

 

Peter casts a quick glance at his boyfriend, who has that nervous look on his face, once again.“Bucky… Is this a proposal?”

 

“Uh, not if you don’t want it to be?” If Bucky was the type to wring his hands in worry, Peter thinks, he’d be doing just that. As it is, he’s settled for trapping his hands beneath his legs.

 

“So what is it then?”

 

“A necklace dangle? It’s totally a necklace dangle.”

 

“It’s not that I don’t want to marry you I just-”

 

At that, Bucky grins and all the tension leaves his body. “Relax, I understand completely. Until you want to think otherwise, it’s just an elaborate necklace dangle.”

 

Suddenly, Peter surges forward, throwing his arms around Bucky’s neck, kissing him hard. “I love you, Bucky. I really do. And I’m sorry.”

 

Bucky feels like his heart is trying to fly away. Kissing his boyfriend right back, marveling at the feeling of the boy in his arms, of the smoothness of his skin, of the way Peter’s lips feel against his own, Bucky can’t help but feeling completely, undeniably happy.

 

“Right back at ya, baby,” he laughs, wrapping his arms around Peter and pulling them both backwards, so that they land in a tangled heap on top of the covers.

 

It feels so good to be reunited.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you liked it! :D


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